Are you free?

There are a lot of things that can make one feel free. You can live in a “free country.” You can have enough money so that you have financial security. You can be married to someone who is happy for you to pursue your passions. You can be an entrepreneur and create the businesses that you want to bring to the world. You can have a passport full of stamps and live a life free to travel the world. But there’s nothing that inhibits your freedom more than feeling stuck and trapped in your own life.

Perhaps you feel like you are doing all the right things. You are regularly learning new skills. You are staying abreast of the latest and greatest information to keep you and your family happy and healthy. You aren’t ashamed or afraid to show up and do the hard work to make your life better... but still, you feel as though your feet are shackled because you just cannot seem to move forward.

I’ve been there. I collected degrees, certifications, and experiences over the past couple of decades all in hopes of finally finding my purpose and feeling good in my own skin. And, heck, many of those trainings and experiences should have pointed to the need to kick alcohol to the curb. I sincerely didn’t know (or didn’t really want to admit) that it was holding me back and I certainly didn’t know where to start.

Over time, drinking became less and less fun. It almost seemed like a chore on occasion. Most certainly I became less capable of quickly recovering and getting on with life as I had been able to in the past. At this point, I thought that moderating or cutting back was the answer. I had tried a few cleanses and alcohol-free challenges and felt successful in having control over alcohol. I certainly didn’t feel like alcohol was a problem if I could simply stop for 30 days, right?

Here’s the issue. Here’s where I wasn’t free. 

I COULD stop drinking but I didn’t WANT to! 

Alcohol still had such allure for me. I was free in so many other ways but still chained to alcohol.

When I found “This Naked Mind” and Annie Grace’s approach, I was happy that there were no commitments or expectations for me to “become sober” or have to say that I was an “alcoholic.” This was a must for me. I simply decided to listen, learn, and share with honesty.  Whoa!

During my exploration, one of the coaches asked, “What if it’s better?” when talking to me about my first vacation alcohol-free. I thought she was crazy pants. I couldn’t envision that a beach vacation could be better?! But. . . I stayed curious and open-minded. I asked for help when I needed it. I treated myself with kindness and grace. And I nailed that first vacation alcohol-free. Guess what? It WAS better! Don’t get me wrong, it wasn’t simple, but it wasn’t nearly as challenging as I had imagined. Yes, it was different, but in a good way. That vacation was the first time that I seriously considered CHOOSING not to drink and being happy about it. I could drink if I wanted, but maybe I didn’t want to. And, over time, as I continued to have more experiences without alcohol, I noticed that many things actually were better. 

Ya’ll, I even tackled trips to Italy and Costa Rica without booze. I attended a 3-day outdoor music fest sans alcohol. I moved, set my daughter to college, and restarted my business post-pandemic. . . all without that “shit in a glass” that used to entice me regularly.

You do not have to take my word for it.  And you shouldn’t. You know what this life is like WITH alcohol. You have been living it. You know what you do when you travel or how you might use it as a “friend” to help you through a challenging time. But do you know what it’s like to do those things without drinking? Maybe it’s time to commit to yourself to figure it out.

I would love to help you. Click HERE to take your first step to freedom with a free 30-minute introductory call.